Today is election day. I hope all of the readers across the blogosphere take a few minutes and cast their ballots.

There are a couple of NBA connections in the balloting across the country.

Former NBA center Chris Dudley is involved in a tight battle for the governor’s position in Oregon.

Dudley, a Yale graduate who played 16 seasons in the NBA from 19187-2003, is running as a Republican. He’s best known in his NBA career as a shot-blocker extraordinaire who set the league’s record for most consecutive missed foul shots.

He’s hooked up in a close race with Democrat John Kitzhaber, who was governor of the state from 1994 to 2002.

It’s some clever work, but Fisher needs all of the help he can get. Real Clear Politics puts him as heavy underdog in today’s balloting against Republican Rob Portman.

Interestingly, neither politician in that race has blasted James for his controversial move to Miami. Doing that might have been the easiest way for either candidate to build grass-roots support with the electorate.

Several NBA players have had successful political careers after their retirement from the sport. Bill Bradley was a three-term U.S. Senator from New Jersey and ran for the 2000 Democratic party presidential nomination after his retirement from the New York Knicks.

Dave Bing (Detroit) and Kevin Johnson (Sacramento) both have been elected as mayors of those towns in recent years.

And I’ve also got to believe a certain former center who has been involved in starting the Carver Academy here in San Antonio would be extremely electable if he ever chose to enter politics.

Just wondering, however, if David Robinson really has the stomach for that during his post-basketball career.